We find the works of nature still more pleasant, the more they resemble those of art.

~ Joseph Addison

This Spring has been incredibly beautiful here in the woods. Always a favorite time of year for me, it has been heightened by the almost perfect weather in recent weeks. The fresh green color of the season seems to sparkle in the sunlight streaming through the leaves. On the ground, there are daily discoveries to be made of something emerging from the leaf litter or starting to bloom. And while I have had plenty of chores and appointments to keep me occupied, I try to walk the yard as often as possible, and notice the players in this ephemeral show. If I pause and look around, there are always colors, shapes, and patterns that affirm that this is the month where new life bursts forth and beckons us to slow down and notice, before it disappears for another year.

Here are just a few indicators of the season from the past couple of weeks…

The unusual flower of pawpaw (click photos to enlarge)

Trillium leaves

A fern fiddlehead

Mayapple leaves

Red buckeye flowers up close

Red buckeye flowers that have fallen into the water garden onto a bed of duckweed

Foamflower

Eastern tent caterpillar headed down a tree trunk to pupate

Phlox flowers

The lacy leaves of Dutchman’s breeches

Wild columbine